Pre-Game Talk: Return of the Rat - Stanley Cup Finals '24: Edmonton vs. Florida

[K1984]

Haha I renewed my mortgages peak covid. They are ending in just over a year and I’m terrified.

I'm in the same boat, but it looks like the cadence of further rate drops is going to time itself right just in time for renewal (hopefully). Still won't be the sub 2% I locked in 2020 though sadly.

 

[alanschu]

Kind of off topic but I just turned on the TV while I do my workout and the first thing that popped up on ESPN was a 30 for 30 documentary (90 minute doc) about the 2011 Vancouver riots with lots of graphic scenes. I remember it being pretty bad but it was actually way worse than I imagined, pure mayhem from not just a few but hundreds of human slime. It was very eye opening.

Long story short, regardless of the Oilers winning or losing I hope Edmonton stays classy has some restraint and celebrates or voices their displeasure in a peaceful manner.

I always remember in 2006 that for all the loud cheering and some shenanigans on Whyte Ave, when the Oilers lost game 7 the city was mostly just sad.

 

[brentashton]

How is your mortgage dropping? Rates seems to be going up.

I'm looking to upgrade to a bigger house as my house is starting to feel jammed pack. The prices are just scary expensive

Variable mortgage….

 

[timekeep]

Read my many posts above and in multiple threads on how presale codes work.

You didn't explain it right, they have to send us their credit card information and we will log in to our presale and buy the tickets for them!! No don't do that

 

[brentashton]

Might as well stay home I guess lol

Waste of 8 days, heh heh

 

[Arpeggio]

The Panthers are getting so overrated on the main board, just like Dallas was. I'm not saying we're favourites, I think 55/45 in Florida's favour is fair. But talking about that lineup like the Oilers aren't even in the same league is insane. It's like everyone just ignores McDavid and Draisaitl down the middle.

You also can't tell me the Oilers don't crush the same teams the Panthers have in the playoffs. Dallas is a better team than any team the Panthers have played so far, and really wasn't that far off from Florida during the regular season. And while I was not a believer in the Canucks, if you look at regular season results, they were at least comparable with New York.

The Oilers have a very legitimate shot here.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

If I had seen your posts I wouldn't have asked for the code, but I will track down your posts in multiple threads.

Thanks for the info.

Sorry not trying to be snotty just saying it’s in quite a few places to make it easier for you to find. I’d have reposted it for you as I have for many others but I’m moving my elderly mom right now.

 

[Arpeggio]

Sorry not trying to be snotty just saying it’s in quite a few places to make it easier for you to find. I’d have reposted it for you as I have for many others but I’m moving my elderly mom right now.

I also wasn't trying to be an ass, all good, and I really do appreciate the info, I've signed up for the gameday alerts based on your posts.

 

[K1984]

The Panthers are getting so overrated on the main board, just like Dallas was. I'm not saying we're favourites, I think 55/45 in Florida's favour is fair. But talking about that lineup like the Oilers aren't even in the same league is insane. It's like everyone just ignores McDavid and Draisaitl down the middle.

You also can't tell me the Oilers don't crush the same teams the Panthers have in the playoffs. Dallas is a better team than any team the Panthers have played so far, and really wasn't that far off from Florida during the regular season. And while I was not a believer in the Canucks, if you look at regular season results, they were at least comparable with New York.

The Oilers have a very legitimate shot here.

The mental math folks are doing on the mains is starting to contradict itself.

"People were saying Dallas' depth was overwhelming too and the deepest in the playoffs, but that didn't matter in the end."

"YA BUT WOULD YOU TAKE THEIR TOP 6 OVER FLORIDA'S!?"

"That isn't depth, that's the top 6"

"YA BUT YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE LINEUP"

So the depth matters or it doesn't? I'm confused.

 

[Da McBomb]

McDavid vs Barkov? Barkov is good... but I know who I'm going with in a series. Everyone's been sleeping on the Oilers these whole playoffs... love being the underdog and proving everyone wrong. Oilers have dealt with Tkachuk and Bennett successfully before. And the Oilers superstars and high end players have no problem handling physical play. Ekblad and Forsling don't really scare me much either.

 

[Canovin]

Haha I renewed my mortgages peak covid. They are ending in just over a year and I’m terrified.

I have mine at 1.7% right now. Mine is ending roughly the same time as yours. I'm feeling the heat as well.

 

[Arpeggio]

The mental math folks are doing on the mains is starting to contradict itself.

"People were saying Dallas' depth was overwhelming too and the deepest in the playoffs, but that didn't matter in the end."

"YA BUT WOULD YOU TAKE THEIR TOP 6 OVER FLORIDA'S!?"

"That isn't depth, that's the top 6"

"YA BUT YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE LINEUP"

So the depth matters or it doesn't? I'm confused.

I posted something similar on the mainboards, but I think it's fair to say that Florida is the best team in the East, based on the regular season. But I also think that if you looked at the Oilers over the last 70 regular season games, it would be fair to say they are the top team in the West. Both teams beat the teams in front of them, can't control that.

Obviously I could be wrong and we lose in 4, but this isn't like an 8th seed team that goalied their way to the finals. The Oilers will clearly be the best team the Panthers have faced so far in the playoffs.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

The Panthers are getting so overrated on the main board, just like Dallas was. I'm not saying we're favourites, I think 55/45 in Florida's favour is fair. But talking about that lineup like the Oilers aren't even in the same league is insane. It's like everyone just ignores McDavid and Draisaitl down the middle.

You also can't tell me the Oilers don't crush the same teams the Panthers have in the playoffs. Dallas is a better team than any team the Panthers have played so far, and really wasn't that far off from Florida during the regular season. And while I was not a believer in the Canucks, if you look at regular season results, they were at least comparable with New York.

The Oilers have a very legitimate shot here.

It’s ok the main boards have been wrong about the Oilers all season.

 

[Hellcat]

Mcdavid is going to be top 3 player ever lol...these two things are not the same..No one player can shut down 97 to suggest otherwise is ridiculous...it takes a 5 man unit defending, this is plain obvious. I never said he wont have an impct or he isn't great..MCdavid has beaten bergeron numrous times and he is a generational defensive forward...No one stops mcdavid alone and for 7 games potentially

Kadri did a pretty good job when he was a Leaf

I'm just saying dont underestimate Barkov, he is really really really really good.

 

[Hellcat]

Out of curiosity I went back to see Gretzky's cup runs in Edmonton and who were the top defensive forwards on their cup opponents.

1984 - Brian Trottier finished 2nd in Selke votes that season. No Selke wins in his career but had votes in 5 seasons.
1985 - Dave Poulin was the closest of note finishing 7th in Selke votes that season but did win it once in his career, and received votes in 8 seasons.
1987 - see above, but this is the year Dave Poulin won the Selke.
1988 - Steve Kasper finished 2nd in Selke votes. Through his career he won 1 Selke trophy, was a finalist 3 times, and received votes in 12 of his NHL seasons including a 4th place finish in his first year.

Ultimately, Barkov may be better than any of those examples, but those are still pretty damn good examples of top notch defensive forwards and only one of them was able to stop Gretzky (Trottier in 1983).

To be fair those Oil teams had what 7 to 10 - HOFer''s (Gretz, Kurri, Andersen, Messier, Fuhr, Coffee, I'm missing some...) Florida cant think of one that might be a HOFer. Good thought process though.

 

[Nunymare]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1798353111951532104

Prove 'em wrong, Oilers!

 

[elmeroil]

Well, I mean, can't argue with this guys' logic. We all know the Oilers don't win their 5th cup in '90 without Wayne. Sound logic from this mouthbreather.

Gretz was such a massive piece of that 1990 Cup winning team! 0 GP 0 GOALS

 

[tiger_80]

Just to clarify, there are no boobs in this pic?

At least we are not honored by Singh and Louie strip show.

 

[ZJuice]

Kadri did a pretty good job when he was a Leaf

I'm just saying dont underestimate Barkov, he is really really really really good.

That was a really annoying time to watch the Oilers. Refs would let players like Kadri/Fiala/whoever just waterski using McDavid as a speedboat or they'd watch McDavid get wrestled and held down to the ice. With or without the puck it happened, these no calls were absolutely asinine.

Now McDavid finally has earned a little respect from the referees.

 

[bone]

To be fair those Oil teams had what 7 to 10 - HOFer''s (Gretz, Kurri, Andersen, Messier, Fuhr, Coffee, I'm missing some...) Florida cant think of one that might be a HOFer. Good thought process though.

For sure. Anyone anywhere thinking this should be a cake walk for either team is severely underestimating the other team.

It will be fun to see how this goes. Some of these "generational" players tend to lose their first cup attempt, usually to a team that has been there before (Gretzky, Crosby, Yzerman, and to a lesser extent Stamkos and Kucherov, or even Lindros, though he never got a second chance)

But then again some of them that take a longer time to get there, don't let the opportunity pass them by once they get the chance (Lemieux, Ovechkin, Sakic, MacKinnon, granted only one of these guys did it against a team that had been there before).

 

[stony]

LOL. Well, no hope of me getting tickets.

 

[Lay Z Boy GM]

That was a really annoying time to watch the Oilers. Refs would let players like Kadri/Fiala/whoever just waterski using McDavid as a speedboat or they'd watch McDavid get wrestled and held down to the ice. With or without the puck it happened, these no calls were absolutely asinine.

Now McDavid finally has earned a little respect from the referees.

Stauffer was saying he yelled at Campbell over this before. If that’s true I bet the brass appreciate Stauffer for saying what they probably can’t say themselves.

It was shameful how much they let go

 

[WaitingForUser]

That was a really annoying time to watch the Oilers. Refs would let players like Kadri/Fiala/whoever just waterski using McDavid as a speedboat or they'd watch McDavid get wrestled and held down to the ice. With or without the puck it happened, these no calls were absolutely asinine.

Now McDavid finally has earned a little respect from the referees.

I used to hate that. The best player in the world by a mile and he has to deal with being hooked hacked and tripped every other shift. I always hated the needs to earn the respect of the refs angle. Like just call the damn rule book why should a player have to earn shit?

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[Lay Z Boy GM]

To be fair those Oil teams had what 7 to 10 - HOFer''s (Gretz, Kurri, Andersen, Messier, Fuhr, Coffee, I'm missing some...) Florida cant think of one that might be a HOFer. Good thought process though.

Bob could be hhof if he wins a Cup